


where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?

by bearer_of_light



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bookstore AU, F/F, Fluff, Kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 22:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11724165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearer_of_light/pseuds/bearer_of_light
Summary: Sorry for any and all mistakes.Title credit goes to Henry Ward Beecher.You can find me at ordinarklo.tumblr.com





	where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any and all mistakes.
> 
> Title credit goes to Henry Ward Beecher.
> 
> You can find me at ordinarklo.tumblr.com

“Oh, sorry”, Lexa said as her fingers brushed against someone else’s hand. They both reached for the same book on the shelf.

“Oh.”, the other person, blonde woman, said looking at their hands inches apart holding onto the same book. “This is awkward.”

Lexa looked behind the book and along the rest of the shelf in hope of finding one more copy, but it looked like her luck has run out and the one she was holding, along with the stranger standing next to her, was the last one. She took a deep breath and shook her head. She had spent the entire day running around town, hurrying from one bookstore to another in hope of finding just one copy of that same book and now when she found it, it was the last one and there was another person wanting it.

It was Anya’s girlfriend’s birthday and Lexa was supposed to buy the book for her. They were on a vacation and Anya had no way to do it herself. She asked Lexa to buy it, but Lexa forgot. It was nothing like her to do a thing like that, forget something someone asked her to do, especially if that someone was her best friend, but she was swamped in deadlines and days passed by. And then earlier that day Anya called her to tell her they’d be back in town the next day and that she can bring the book to her place, she remembered and freaked out. That’s why Lexa looked around in panic and did not think to let go of the book.

“Ye....” Lexa stopped mid word, her mouth half opened and her mind unable to form a full sentence, or word as it seemed. She knew the other person was a blonde girl because she saw a glimpse of her face earlier, but this was the first time she looked at her eyes and her mouth and her face. The other girl offered a small smile and Lexa could feel the redness creeping up from her neck to her face. She quickly looked back at the book. “Yes it is. Quite awkward.”

“Maybe they have another one somewhere stored.”, blonde said, neither of them were loosening their grips on the book.

“Yes.”, Lexa gulped.

“You’re not letting go hm?”

“I’m sorry.”, Lexa laughed nervously, partially because of the situation they were in and partially because standing next to her was a beautiful woman. “I wouldn’t normally do this but my friend wants this really bad and I’ve spent the entire day running around trying to find it.”

“We seem to be in a similar situations.”, blonde’s eyes were jumping from the book to Lexa’s face. “I’ll go find someone who works here and ask them if they have one more copy. Promise you won’t leave with the book.”, she said while trying to hide her own nervousness behind a smile.

“I promise.”, Lexa was a lot of things but she wasn’t a cheater. Not that the situation could be described as cheating but still, there had to be a civil way to resolve the situation. After all it was just a book.

Blonde let go of the book and walked away to the other part of the store. Lexa could see her talking to the cashier. She tried her best to not stare but she just couldn’t help it. The girl was pretty. Starry night pretty. Sunset at the beach pretty. Just pretty.

And she didn’t look happy when she finished talking to the cashier. She walked towards Lexa typing furiously on her phone.

“So, bad news. That’s the last copy.”, she said once she was standing in front of Lexa. Lexa’s fingers gripped the book just a bit stronger. Anya would never forgive her if she came empty handed. “I really need that book.”, blonde was looking as desperate as Lexa was feeling.

“My friend will hate me for the rest of eternity if I don’t get it.”

“And my two friends will hate me, one of them will probably kill me if I don’t get it.”

“I’m really sorry but I can’t give it to you.”, they both had their reasons but Lexa was the one with upper hand and she had no plans of losing it.

“If I can’t have it neither can you.”, blonde was getting angry.

“You can’t stop me from buying it.”, Lexa furrowed her brows.

“You can’t do that. You don’t have the right.”

“I don’t have the right to buy a book?”, Lexa let out a laugh. It was just a book, yes, but she was not about to let this other girl just have it and possibly ruin the longest friendship she had. “And who gave you the right to make that decision?”

“I touched it first.”

Lexa laughed and shook her head. Blonde was cute on top of being pretty. She wished they met under different circumstances.

“And then you left it in my hands. There’s really nothing stopping me from buying it and leaving.”

Blonde rubbed her forehead and let out a long breath. Lexa felt bad, both for the other girl and for the things she was saying to her. They really were in the similar situation and it could have been Lexa in her shoes. She knew all that but she also knew she had no other choice.

“I really need that book.”, other girl said looking at Lexa, she could hear just how desperate blonde was.

“I’m sorry. I am. It could have easily been me in your place. But I can’t give it to you. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll play you for it.”, blonde said with a newly found spark in her voice.

“What?”

“Let’s play a game for it. Anything.”

Lexa was not about to put 15 years of friendship on the line to play a game. It was ridiculous enough that a book was putting it in danger. Playing a game for the said book would just be too much.

“Can’t do that either.”

“Fuck my life.”, girl said under her breath.

Lexa knew she should do what she said, just go and pay for the book she had in her hands and leave without looking back. There was nothing stopping her. Yet there she was, stuck in front of a girl on the verge of having a panic attack because of a stupid book.

“This is so stupid.” Lexa said after a couple of moments. The other girl looked up at her looking defeated. “It’s so fucking stupid to go through all that that you must be going through right now just because of a book.”

“Books are dangerous like that.” They both laughed and then the blonde added “You can have it. The way you are holding onto it, like your life depends on it, is honestly more terrifying than what awaits me if I don’t buy it.”

Lexa was starting to regret everything she said. And thought. She was not the kind of person to make unkind threats, if you could call what she had said a threat. She was the kind of person to find solutions to problems. Claiming the book was hers just because wasn’t the nicest thing to do, and if she was being honest the girl standing in front of her certainly didn’t deserve all the rudeness she was getting from Lexa. Lexa also knew she would regret the next thing she said.

“C’mon we are adults, we can find a solution for this.”, she paused for a second to think. “We can split the bill for this one and then go together to a couple of other bookstores to see if someone has one more copy. If we find it then we each get one and if we don’t then... I don’t know. We can play a game for this one and winner takes it all.”

“You don’t have to do that, you were right.”

Lexa lifted the book and put it in the blonde’s hand.

“I don’t know anything about you but you seem like a nice person and it’s the fair thing to do.”

“No, there’s no need.”, girl said pushing the book back to Lexa. “I’ll go see if someone else has it and if not I’ll face my demise. It’s my fault I got into this situation. Should have bought it weeks ago. You should have this one.”

“No.”, Lexa pushed it back and put her hands behind her back. “I should have done the same thing. We’ll go together and hopefully find another one.”

“You are persistent.” Lexa’s eyes were on the blonde’s lips. In her head she was justifying it with the fact that the girl was speaking but in reality she knew that was not the reason she was staring at her lips. “And really stubborn.”

“My only real quality.”

The other girl gave a short laugh.

“Okay.”, she smiled.

“Good.”, Lexa smiled back. “My name is Lexa by the way.”, she said extending her arm in the small space between them.

“Nice to meet you Lexa. I’m Clarke.”

Clarke’s hand was warm and it took seconds for it to heat up Lexa’s entire body. She felt it in her toes, her knees, her chest and when it hit her face she thought she would burst into flames.

“Clarke. That’s a nice name.”

“Sounds even better when you say it.”, as soon as Clarke said it she yanked her hand from Lexa’s and covered her mouth. Her face was red and her eyes wide open.

“Really, Clarke?”, Lexa couldn’t help it.

Clarke closed her eyes and then opened them again before she spoke again.

“I’m sorry. I have a really big mouth and the fact that you are so attractive doesn’t help.”, this time there was no visible panic in her eyes.

“I’m attractive?”

“Like that’s news to you.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I know.”, Clarke smirked, by this point she regained her cool, or at least she was cool enough to make it look that way. “Let’s go now, before I embarrass myself some more.”

They walked side by side to the cashier and bought the book.

“Who’s gonna carry it?”, Clarke asked once they were on the street. Lexa laughed and started walking.

“You.”, her answer was short.

“I still can’t believe we are talking about one book as if it’s a national treasure.”, Clarke said when she caught up with Lexa.

“There’s another bookstore a couple of blocks away.”

“You walk really fast.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”, Lexa said as she slowed down. “Habit I have.”

“Always running late?”

“No.”, Lexa chuckled, “The opposite.”

“You’re one of those people.”

“You mean one of those considerate people who know that time is not something people usually have in an abundance and that being late is rude and not nice.”

“Exactly, one of _those_ people.”

“Clarke, you should be careful about mocking me.”

“Or what? You’re gonna run away with the book. Oh right you can’t since I’m the one carrying it.”, Clarke smiled widely at Lexa.

“Not anymore.”, Lexa said as she snatched the bag with the book from Clarke’s hand. “You better keep up.”

“Wow. Rude.”

They walked the rest of the way to the bookstore in silence. Lexa would throw occasional glance at Clarke only to find Clarke looking back at her. She’d then look away and Lexa would see a blush blooming on Clarke’s face.

“I was kidding. Before.”, they were just about to walk in when Clarke stopped looking at Lexa. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“It’s alright Clarke, I know.” Clarke blushed again and Lexa smiled back at her. There was something about Clarke that made Lexa want to spend more time with her. Part of her was hoping they wouldn’t find the book just yet.

“I’ll go ask them if they have it and you can look around. Yell if you find it.”, Lexa said once they were inside.

“Yes ma’am.”, Clarke made a salute sign.

“Mocking, Clarke.”, Lexa said turning her back.

“Never, Lexa.”, the blonde yelled back at her.

The place was quite big so it took Lexa some time to find Clarke. They, of course didn’t have it, book was sold out days ago.

“Don’t tell me you are one of _those_ people.” Lexa said once she found Clarke leaned on one of the shelves, flipping through one of those 50 shades books.

“Have you read it?”

“Do I look like like I did?”

“I don’t know Lexa, looks can be deceiving.”

“Well I haven’t. I have zero interest in anything about that book.”

“And if it were two girls?”, Clarke said looking up from the book in her hands.

“Intrigued but still not interested.”

“Yeah, agreed, straight people are really something else.”, Clarke closed the book and put it back on the shelf. “Good thing we are not one of _those_ people.”, she grinned.

“Good indeed.”

Clarke bit her bottom lip and moved a few steps closer to Lexa who was having a really hard time keeping her thoughts clean. She tried to remind herself that all what was going on was for and about Anya and her stupid book but every time she looked at Clarke she forgot about any of those things.

“Do they have it?”, she heard Clarke say, her eyes going from blonde’s eyes to her lips. It took her a while to process what was it that Clarke said.

“What?”, she asked focusing on Clarke’s eyes and only her eyes as if that would make it easier for her to not be a mess. Especially when Clarke was standing so close.

“Do they have the book?”, Clarke asked again smirking. Lexa was sure the other girl knew exactly what she was doing.

“Umm  yeah, no they don’t. Sold out.” Lexa managed to say. Her mouth was dry and she could think about only one thing.

“Too bad. Where’s the next one?”, Clarke took another step closer to Lexa.

“Uh, there’s only one more, ten minutes away.”, there was absolutely no reason for Clarke to stand this close to her, all of Lexa’s senses were full of Clarke. She was the only thing Lexa saw, smelled or heard.

“Shall we?”, Clarke said biting her lip again.

“Yes.”

Lexa could see Clarke’s smile as she walked by.

“Hurry up then.”

Lexa took a deep breath and followed her.

“You seem like a really, really responsible person, how the fuck did you get yourself in this situation?” Clarke asked once they were back on street.

“I am really, _really_ responsible but even we, responsible people, can fuck up from time to time. I had other stuff that was more important at the time and I forgot about the stupid book.”, Lexa said.

“For what kind of a friend do you even go through all this trouble?”

“I should ask you the same thing.”

“I asked first.”, Clarke laughed.

“We go way back, she’s on vacation with her girlfriend and she asked me to buy it. It’s not for her, it’s for the girlfriend, that’s why I feel so bad.”

“That’s one messy situation.”  
“Thanks. What about you?”

“I’m my own reaper. It’s a gift for my best friend. Or it was supposed to be. Octavia and I, that’s another friend, agreed to buy it together, that and some other stuff, she offered she’d get the book and I get the rest of it but I insisted I’d buy the book. That was two months ago. But I forgot, like totally and completely. She asked me yesterday to bring it so we can wrap it all up before she comes back from her vacation and I almost died on the spot because I realized I haven’t bought it yet. Octavia will literally kill me if I don’t come back today with this book.”

“Messy.”

“Are you mocking me, Lexa?”

“I’m sorry.”, Lexa laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at us. We are such bad friends.”

“Fucking terrible.”, Clarke laughed with her. “Let’s hope they have it in this next one.”

“Let’s hope.”

“Is it bad that I’m glad all this happened.”, Clarke said after some time. They had only couple more minutes of walking.

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“What are you glad for?”, Lexa knew what she wanted to hear and she prayed for Clarke to say it.

“Don’t play dumb.”

“Don’t play coy.”

“This.”, Clarke said pointing her finger first at Lexa then at herself.

“You’re glad we are… walking?”, Lexa was trying to stop the grin that was slowly forming on her face.

“Lexa.”, Clarke said as she stopped and looked at her. “Dumb doesn’t suit you.”

“I like when things are clean and clear.”, Lexa smirked. They were standing in front of the store, looking at each other and not really caring about bookstores or books.

“I’m glad we grabbed the same book and spent this hour together.”

Lexa’s whole body buzzed and tingled and maybe living through Anya’s anger would be worth all this. After all she couldn’t be mad forever.

“Good to know.”, she said to expectant Clarke and entered the bookstore trying to hide the happiest of smiles.

“You’re such a jerk.”, she heard Clarke whisper behind her.

Five minutes later they were back on the street, still with only one book.

“What now?”, Clarke asked.

“Now we play that game.”, Lexa smiled.

“You’re serious?”, Lexa was the one holding the book and Clarke looked at her surprised.

“I am.”

“What game?”

“I ask you a question and if you answer correctly you can have the book.”, Lexa said.

“Okay, hit me up.”.

“Will you go on a date with me?”

Question took Clarke by surprise. It wasn’t what she was expecting but there was probably a part of her that was hoping.

“Bold.”, she said stepping closer.

“Clean and clear.”, Lexa smirked.

“I like it.”

“Will you?”

“I will.”

Lexa smiled and smiled and smiled. Anya would just have to forgive her.


End file.
